For that sub-$500 price you'll be able to pick up a Wi-Fi only version of the PlayBook. The Wi-Fi only iPad, by comparison, is currently smack-dab at $500, and adding 3G connectivity bumps up the price by $130.

Other than that, the PlayBook — as well as pretty much all of Apple's tablet competitors runs Flash, which may or may not be a big deal to you. It'll be interesting to see how big of a seller video conferencing is one the PlayBook lands at the beginning of next year. While the iPad doesn't have even a single camera for the time being, a second generation of the popular tablet is inevitable, and you can bet your biscuits it'll have video chatting. Apple just expanded FaceTime to allow users to talk between mobile devices and Macs, after all.